


Meet-Cute

by emmawicked



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Crush, F/F, Fluff, coffee shop AU, i wrote more of this but couldn't finish it in time, so to be continued in the future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 06:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13607739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmawicked/pseuds/emmawicked
Summary: Another universe, another lifetime. Max still loves Chloe.





	Meet-Cute

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Haywire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haywire/gifts).



She comes in every day at the same time with the same bag. She orders the same drink and sits in the same chair at the same table; the only thing that ever changes is the title of her book. Max didn’t really notice her pattern until it changed. 

“I like your bag,” the barista says when she puts in her order, “Is it a camera case?” Max blinks as the morning deviates from her set script. 

“Yes, I just got it last night. It was only twelve bucks on sale,” Max admits. The twelve dollar price tag was the only reason why she bought it; she could barely scrounge up enough money for coffee. 

“Neato!” She says, “I used to do photography, but it’s been a while.” 

Max frowns. “Why did you stop?” She asks and the barista only shrugs. 

“Not enough time I guess.” Her eyes glaze over and Max gets the feeling there’s another reason. “Plus the cameras are hella expensive.” 

Max shifts awkwardly, hand tightly wound around the cord of her camera bag. “Well you should try to pick it up again, it doesn’t need to be good or anything. You can just take a pic with your cell phone or something.” 

She smiles; a brief lift of the left corner of her mouth. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.” 

“You’re welcome…” Max realizes with embarrassment she  never learned her name and she glances down at her apron, “Chloe. I’m Max. By the way.” 

Chloe smiles. “Well here you go, Max,” she says, placing her order on the counter, “Have a good day.” 

“You too!” 

Max takes her coffee and sits down at her table. Chloe is scrubbing the counter, bright blue hair falling in her face. Max tears her gaze away to read her novel. She stays there for a quiet hour punctuated by fleeting glances aimed at the pretty barista. 

 

——————————————————————————————————

 

“Why do you always get black coffee?” Chloe inquires one Thursday morning, “We have more drinks than what you can make in a dorm room.” 

Max shrugs. “I need the caffeine to get through the day,” she says. “And I like the environment in here. It’s nice.” 

“I know what you mean,” Chloe agrees. The coffee shop is small but decorated with shades of cream and houseplants on every table. “I would live here if I could.” 

“It’s better than the crappy dorms they have at Blackwell, anyway.” 

Chloe’s eyebrow lifts. “You go to Blackwell?” 

“Yeah,” Max shrugs, “It’s the best photography school in state.” 

“Yeah, it is.” Max could be imagining things, but she thinks Chloe’s voice sounds wistful. She blinks and it clears like a passing thought. “Watch out for Nathan Prescott though, he’s a dick.” 

“He’s in one of my classes,” Max admits, “I don’t really talk to him though…” 

“Don’t.” Chloe’s voice was hard. “He’s bad news.” 

Max wonders what she should say and she ends up not saying anything at all. 

“I heard one time Prescott walked past a dog and didn’t pet him,” Chloe adds, “What kind of monster do you have to be to do something like that?” Max laughs, tension abated. Chloe slides Max’s coffee across the counter. 

“Thanks Chloe.” 

“Don’t mention it. Have a good day.”

“You too!”

——————————————————————————————————

Max adds another part to her mental checklist of a daily routine. It used to be: 

  1. Get up
  2. Turn off alarm
  3. Brush teeth
  4. Eat breakfast
  5. Go to coffee shop
  6. Get black coffee
  7. Sit in the corner
  8. Read
  9. Go to Class



She edits her list to include a step between 5 and 6: ‘Talk to Chloe’. She’s funny and real- a dichotomy from everyone one Max has ever known in her whole life. Chloe makes everyone else look like a pale imitation of a human with her colorful personality and tattoos. She’s loud and abrasive (two things Max usually hates) and she wears it well. 

Max zones out a little bit as Chloe’s talking to her, admiring the way her hair looks like in the light. A heartbeat later she realizes Chloe stopped talking. 

“Sorry,” Max says, blushing, “I’m distracted today. What did you say?” 

Chloe lets out a soft laugh. “I asked what classes you have today.” 

“Oh, I just have Trig. I don’t get why Blackwell requires a math credit for fine arts majors- trig makes me want to die.” 

“I feel you,” Chloe says, placing a lid on Max’s coffee, “I stopped taking math after Algebra two. Math and I didn’t really get along.” 

“I relate,” Max says, sighing, “I-“

“Hey!” A man behind her says impatiently, “Can I place an order or are you too busy chatting on the clock?” The corner of Chloe’s mouth twitches and Max shrinks away from the counter. Chloe takes his order, drumming her fingers forcefully against the counter. 

“What an ass,” she says after he left, “Customers are the worst; can’t wait two fucking seconds while I take care of a customer.” A wave of unwarranted confidence wells up in Max. 

“Maybe we should hang out outside of here,” Max suggests, “I don’t want you to get fired for talking to me for too long or anything.” 

There’s a slight pause that Max thinks lasts for a thousand years, but in reality only lasts a heartbeat before Chloe’s mouth splits into a wide smile.

“I would love to,” she says, “Wait- here’s my number.” She scribbles it hastily on Max’s coffee. “Text me this afternoon?” 

“I will,” Max promises and she means it. There’s slight fluttering of butterflies in her stomach as she walks away and they only multiply when Chloe smiles at her from across the room. 

——————————————————————————————————

It’s late when Max finally texts Chloe; she put it off in favor of photography but she swears if she has to look through any more of her shitty polaroids she’ll scream. For a moment as she waits, Max considers how Chloe would look in a blue tinted polaroid picture. Her hair would match the film perfectly… An alert pops up on her phone as she’s imagining the foreground. 

 **hey max** , Chloe texts, **what’s up?** Max smiles to herself at the lack of capitalization.

 **Nothing much,** Max replies, **Just finishing up some work for photography.** Chloe’s reply comes so quickly, Max suspects she was waiting for her. The thought sends a frisson of warmth to her heart. 

**can i see?**

Max hesitates for a heartbeat too long, warring against the instinctive response ingrained in her from school. Abruptly, she decides she doesn’t care. Shuffling her photos around in a better arrangement, she snaps a pic and sends it before remorse can set it. 

 **holy shit those are awesome max** , Chloe sends after five agonizing seconds, **the butterfly one is my favorite**

Max grins gleefully to herself. 

 **Thank you so much!!!!** she replies, nervous tension in her heart dissipating. **it was difficult trying to take the pic without scaring it away lol**

 **i bet**. Sensing an end to their conversation, Max starts to put her phone down just as another notification pops up. **hey,,, i was wondering if you would like to hang out tomorrow after i get off? We could get dinner and drive around and look at the stars.**

Internally, Max is shrieking. Externally, she slowly takes twenty seconds to type out her message. 

**Sounds awfully like a date.**

**it can be if you want it to be.**

The screaming in Max’s head gets louder. 

**I would like that <3**

**me too.**

She throws her phone across the room and lays on her bed with the biggest, stupidest grin on her face and a warm feeling growing in her chest. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my writing & wanna talk to me follow my tumblr @emmawicked


End file.
